Gig Review: Shura at The Oobleck, 02/12/2015

Shura, BBC Sound of 2015 nominee, has been slowly releasing music over the last year and her unique brand of indie synthpop has had fans begging for more; the opportunity to see her in a venue as small as the Oobleck with the prospect of new material was one not to be missed.

Support act Pumarosa, who Shura has recently remixed, took to the stage and their hypnotising, yet often surprisingly danceable style certainly got the crowd going. Elements of shoegaze appeared along the way and some fairly strong Portishead vibes were particularly noticeable in the terrific track ‘Lion’s Den’. Frontwoman Isabel Munoz-Newsome captured the attention of the room, especially during their last song ‘Priestess’, leaving a clear feeling that Pumarosa are definitely a band to be looking out for in 2016.

The traditional band setup of Pumarosa was stripped away from the stage and replaced with the mass of synthesisers that accompanied Shura, who proceeded to perform a set of honest, emotional synthpop. 1980s influences were abound throughout, and opening trio of tracks ‘Nothing’s Real’, ‘Just Once’ and ‘Kids and Stuff’ set the scene – the new material was blending in perfectly with the few songs Shura has already released.

‘Indecision’ and ‘2Shy’ were next and the combination of dreamy synths with reverb-soaked, effects-laden guitars was one that created a stunning atmosphere, with the songs sounding just as good live as they do on the recordings. The mood in the room was one of incredible awe and respect for the soundscape being created on stage, whether people knew the songs or not.

‘What Happened’ and the brilliant ‘Touch’ came next and the latter of the two tracks was particularly enrapturing, with the audience (both literally and figuratively) screaming for more! Every little intricacy of the synth parts on the original tracks was recreated: the attention to detail was stunning.

‘White Light’, in all its uncut glory, was the big finale track and the build-up in energy as the song went on was palpable. Shura left the stage, leaving an incredibly impressed audience behind her and with the quality of the new material the prospect of a debut album next year is one that has become even more exciting than it already was. When it comes to the gig, the only thing I could’ve asked for was more, though I know at some point soon that wish will be granted.